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(ModeL) H. J. MUHLPBLD 8v F. J. SPILLANB. EASEL ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER SUPPORTS.

Patented Aug. 16, 1892 msmuawu, n. c.

NHE terns ATENT rricE.

HENRY J. MUHLFELD AND FRANK J. SPILLANE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EASEL ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER SUPPORTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,045, dated August 16, 1892.

Application filed November 3, 1891. Serial No. 410,740. (ModeL) T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, HENRY J. MUHLFELD and FRANK J. SPILLANE, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Easel Attachment for Chairs and other Supports, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved easel attachment for chairs and other supports. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the chair, taken 011 the line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one member of the attached easel; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the bottom of the chair, said section being taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In art schools it is often necessary for a pupil, especiallyin sketching from casts or from life in a crowded room, to assume various positions upon a chair in order to secure a proper view of the subject to be drawn or painted, and in sketching it is very diflicult in assuming some of the positions often required to hold the canvas or drawing-board so as to conveniently work. The prime object of theinvention to be described is to provide an easel adjustable upon the chair.

In carrying out the invention the easel attachment for chairs and other supports comprises two sections A and B, each section being attached to a vertical side rail of a chairback at the rear thereof. The sections are alike in construction and embrace a body portion or member comprising a vertical rod or bar 10, provided at top and bottom with an arm 11, the said arms being preferably round in cross-section, and this body portion of the easel-section is attached to the vertical side rail 12 of the chair-back, at the rearface thereof, in such manner as to be laterally adjustable, and this is effected by suitable attaching or supportingdevices secured to the rail at proper intervals apart, these devices being in the present instance sockets 13, into which sockets the arms 11 are passed, and the said arms are rigidly held in the sockets when desired through the medium of set-screws 14 or the equivalents thereof, as is best shown in Fig. 8.

Upon the body portion or member of each easel-section the support for the picture, canvas, or board is adj ustably secured. This supporting portion of each easel-section, when in position for use, is shaped essentially as the figure 4, as is best shown in Fig. 1, and comprises a vertical rod or bar 15, a horizontal bar 16, and a connecting-bar 17, which unites the horizontalbar with the upper end of the vertical bar 15. The connecting-bar 1'7 is pivotally attached to the outer face of the upper end of the bar 15, and at its lower end the connect-:

ing-bar is pivotally secured to the horizontal bar 16, some little distance from its free outer end, the projecting portion 16 of the horizontal bar being adapted to support the picture, canvas, or board to be drawn or painted upon, and the connecting-bar 17 forms a rest for the back of the board or canvas. The inner end of the horizontal bar 16 has a sliding connection with the vertical bar 10 of the bodyportion of the section, and this is accomplished by attaching to the inner end of the horizontal bar a loop 18, through which loop the vertical bar 15 of the supporting portion of the section and the vertical bar 10 of the body portion of the section pass. The loop is free to slide upon both the bars 10 and 15; but the horizontal bar 16 may be rigidly secured to the bar 15 through the medium of a set-screw 19, the said set-screw serving to connect the horizontal bar with the loop. A guide-loop 20 is attached to the body bar 10 near its upper end, through which the vertical bar 15 of the supporting portion of the section passes and has movement.

As above mentioned, the easel comprises two sections, each constructed as above described, and the easel may be made to accommodate any width of picture by carrying th sections laterally inward or outward in the sockets 1-3. In Fig. 1 the easel is represented as set up in a manner to support a picture, canvas, or board at the rear of the chair; but the easel may be carried directly to the front of the chair-back, when required, simply by loosening the set-screw 19 and carrying that end of the horizontal bar 16 of each section downward until said bars, and likewise the connecting-bars, are parallel with the vertical bars 10 of the body and 15 of the supporting portions of the sections, and then carrying the horizontal bars 16 in direction of the front until they again assume a horizontal position, making a figure 4 of the supporting portions of the sections. When this position is attained, the set-screws 19 are adjusted to bind the bars 16 closely to the bars 15 and the latter to the body-bars 10. This position is illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and it is evident that the easel may be made as low or as high as desired by vertically adjusting the supporting portions of the sections upon the body portions thereof.

The preferred form of chair on which we have shown our easel is provided with an auxiliary seat 25, mounted in suitable guides 24, and provided with a support 26 and locking-button 27. At the upper end of the chairback is a seat 21, secured by hinges 22.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Au easel attachment for chairs or other supports, comprising two vertical sections, each section comprising avertical rod or bar, and a reversible supporting portion for the picture or other article, mounted on said vertical rods or bars, substantially as set forth.

2. An easel attachment for chairs or other supports, comprising two vertical sections, each section comprising a vertical rod or bar, and a Vertically-adjustable reversible supporting portion for the picture or other article, substantially as set forth.

3. An easel attachment for chairs or other supports, consisting of two sections, each section comprising a body portion and a supporting portion, the supporting portion being adjustable upon the body portion, and shaped when in use as a figure 4:, comprising a vertical bar, a horizontal bar having a sliding and adjustable connection with the vertical bar, and a connecting-bar pivotally connecting the horizontal with the vertical bar, as and for the purpose specified.

4.. The combination, with a chair-back and sockets carried thereby, of an easel consisting of two sections, each section comprising a body portion adj ustably supported by the sockets and a supporting portion vertically adjustable upon the body portion, the supporting portion of each section consisting of a horizontal rod or bar capable of vertical movement at one end, and a connecting-rod pivotally connecting the horizontal rod or bar with a vertical support, as and for the purpose specified,whereby the supporting-section may be made to assume the shape of a figure 4 either in front of or at the rear of the chairback.

5. An easel attachment for chairs or other supports, comprising vertical supporting-rods adjustable toward and from each other, supports with which said rods are connected for said adjustment, and picture or other supports mounted on the upper portions of the said rods or bars, substantially as set forth.

6. An easel attachment for chairs or other supports, comprising vertical rods adjustable toward and from each other and provided with suitable supporting devices, and picture or other supports reversibly secured to the upper ends of said bars or rods to face in either direction, substantially as set forth.

7. An easel attachment for chairs or other supports, consisting in two separate and independent vertically and laterally adjustable sections provided with suitable supporting devices, substantially as set forth.

HENRY J. MUHLFELD. FRANK J. SPILLANE.

Witnesses:

JOHN HALLAHAN, WILLIAM EDWARDS. 

